Sun Country blames Delta as pilot losses force 20% MSP cuts
Sun Country Airlines said it has cut more than 20% of its August and September 2026 schedule at Minneapolis-St. Paul after losing pilots to other carriers and shifting aircraft into cargo flying.[1]
Allegiant CEO Greg Anderson told analysts Delta Air Lines' stepped-up hiring in the Twin Cities is drawing away Sun Country's junior MSP-based pilots.[1] Sun Country pays first-year first officers $83.28 per hour.[1] Allegiant's new pilot deal starts first officers at $107.28 per hour, and Delta pays roughly $118 to $247 per hour for comparable first-year positions.[1]
An arbitration panel ruled in December 2025 that Sun Country owes unpaid commissions to instructor pilots. Sun Country has since sued the pilots' union, and the Air Line Pilots Association has filed a countersuit to enforce the award.
Allegiant plans to bring Sun Country fully under the Allegiant brand in 2028 after obtaining a single operating certificate from the FAA. The carrier cuts at MSP will reduce passenger capacity and could force timetable changes for travelers through the end of summer and into September.
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📌 Key Facts
- Sun Country has reduced its August and September 2026 schedule at MSP by more than 20% compared with the same months last year, citing pilot shortages and added cargo flying.
- Allegiant CEO Greg Anderson told analysts that Delta’s stepped‑up hiring campaign in the Twin Cities is drawing away Sun Country’s junior MSP-based pilots.
- First‑year first officers at Sun Country earn $83.28 per hour, while Allegiant’s new pilot deal starts FOs at $107.28 per hour and Delta pays roughly $118–$247 per hour for comparable first‑year positions.
- An arbitration panel ruled in December 2025 that Sun Country owes unpaid commissions to instructor pilots; the airline has since sued the union and ALPA has countersued to enforce the award.
- Allegiant plans to bring Sun Country fully under the Allegiant brand in 2028 after obtaining a single operating certificate from the FAA.
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